Selection system for flat articles, particularly metal sheets of different sizes coming from a shearing machine

ABSTRACT

Selectors which can be worked alternately are placed along the advancement path of articles having different sizes. Each selector is constituted by a rake structure with L-shaped prongs which can be moved from an upper rest position, where the prongs do not interfere with the advancement of the articles along said path, to a lower pick up position where the prongs stop the advancement of the articles and then again to an upper discharge position, where the prongs, after having lifted the engaged articles, allow their conveyance towards collection places, such as piling hoppers.

This invention relates to a selection system for flat articles,particularly for metal sheets of different sizes coming from a shearingmachine.

There are known shearing machines which cut a metal sheet in sheetshaving the same size and others which, in order to reduce the swarf, cutin sheets of very different sizes.

In the first case the piling of the cut sheets is made in a very simpleway by causing each sheet to fall and then to slide on an inclined planedownstream the shearing machine to a kind of hopper, which directs ittowards the top of a pile. From time to time the hopper is adapted tothe size of the pile which one intends to form and for a certain periodone can cut only sheets of that size.

On the contrary, in the second case, the problem becomes complicate anddifficult to solve.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problem of the pilingof metal sheets of different size coming from a shearing machine or,more in general, of any other kind of flat articles.

According to this invention this object is attained by employing aselection system, comprising a plurality of selectors which are placedalong an advancement path of the articles and can be worked alternatelyto deviate selected articles from said path to respective collectionplaces, characterized in that each of said selectors is constituted by arake structure with L-shaped prongs, which is arranged transversallywith respect to the advancement path of the articles and can be movedfrom an upper rest position, where said prongs do not interfere with theadvancement of said articles along said path, to a lower pick upposition, where said prongs stop the advancement of the articles andthen again to an upper discharge position, where said prongs, afterhaving lifted said engaged articles, allow their conveyance towards saidcollection places.

It is self-evident that a plurality of thus formed selectors allows toselect and to convey the different articles towards one or the other ofthe collection places according to the different size of said articles.All the articles having the same size reach the same collection place,where it can be provided an hopper having a fixed size, which providestheir piling, separately from the articles having different sizes.

Alternately it can be also provided the grouping of the articlesaccording to their destination instead of their size.

Two embodiments are shown by way of non-limitative examples in theenclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the general diagram of the selection system according tothis invention, when it is used for selecting metal sheets of differentsizes coming from a shearing machine;

FIG. 2 shows the construction details of a first example of selectorcomprised in said system, seen in pick up position, from left withrespect to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a section of said selector along the line III--III of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 shows said selector according to the same view of FIG. 2,excepting that the rake structure is arranged in discharge position,coinciding with the rest-one;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a second example of selector according tothe invention in pick up position as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows the selector of FIG. 5 in top plan view;

FIG. 7 shows enlarged details of the selector of FIGS. 5 and 6, stilllaterally seen in pick up position as shown in FIG. 5 but with sectionedparts;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7 but with the selector indischarge position;

FIG. 9 shows the selector of FIGS. 5-8 as cross-sectioned from left withrespect to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 1 shows the whole shearing machine 1, an output conveyor 2 and aselection system formed by a plurality of selectors 3 arranged along theconveyor 2. Furthermore it is shown a control program unit 4, whichcauses the correct and correlate working of the shearing machine 1 andof the selection system for the cut sheets of different sizes by theformer and their sorting towards different collection and piling placesaccording to their sizes, by the latter.

A first embodiment of said selectors 3 is shown in detail in FIGS. 2, 3and 4, where it is also shown that the conveyor 2 is constituted by aplurality of adjacent belts 5 stretched between respective pairs ofpulleys 6 and 7 connected by respective common shafts 8 and 9, one ofwhich is motorized.

The selector comprises a movable rake structure 10, which is constitutedby a beam 11 arranged transversally with respect to the conveyor 2 andby a plurality of projecting prongs 12, each L-shaped, with a firstportion 13 which extends perpendicularly from the beam 11 and a secondperpendicularly turned portion 14 which is directed towards the inlet ofthe conveyor 2, i.e. towards the shearing 1; as shown in FIG. 3, saidturned portion 14 carries a plurality of small idle wheels 22. The beam11 is pivoted in 15 on a support 16 fixed in its turn to a supportingframe 17. This latter supports also a plurality of supporting structures18 for each conveyor belt 5.

A working device 19, for example of the kind having two hydraulicopposite cylinder 20 and 21 with connecting rack mashing with a pinionkeyed on the rotation pin 15, allows the rotation of the rake structure10 between the horizontal pick up position of the FIGS. 2 and 3 and theinclined rest position or discharge position of FIG. 4.

In the first position the turned portions 14 of the prongs 12 areinserted between each of the belts 5 of the conveyor 2, slightly underthe resting plane defined by them. In this position the perpendicularportions 13 of the prongs prevent the advancement of the metal sheetsalong the conveyor 2, causing them to stop against the same prongs.

In the second position the prongs 12 are, on the contrary, lifted withrespect to the belts 5, so as not to interfere with the advancement ofthe arriving sheets and to define with their turned portions 14 aninclined sliding plane for the sheets previously stopped and thenlifted. In this position the small wheels 22 make easy the sliding ofthe sheets and their subsequent discharge in a collection place, whichis preferably a piling hopper.

It results the following way of working of the selector 3 and, ingeneral, of the selecting system with more selectors placed at theoutlet of the shearing machine. Until a selector has its own rakestructure 10 arranged in the inclined rest position of FIG. 4, thesheets carried by the belts 5 can pass freely under the prongs 12. Thiscondition lasts until, in correspondence with the cut by the shearingmachine 1 of a sheet having a given size, the control unit 4 gives tothe working device 19 of that selector an order for the rotation of therake structure 10 from the rest inclined position of FIG. 4 to thehorizontal one of FIG. 2. At that time the arriving sheets stops againstthe vertical portions 13 of the prongs 12, being so stopped and catched.Immediately after, the same control unit 4 orders the return of the rakestructure 10 to the inclined position of FIG. 4, and the catched sheetis at first lifted and then caused to slide along the inclined planedefined by the turned portion 14 of the prongs 12 with relative smallidle wheels 22. The catched and lifted sheet can thus reach thecollection place for which it is destined.

By repeating this operation, at the right times, for the otherselectors, is thus possible to sort the different metal sheets towardsthe corresponding collection places according to their different sizes(or to their destinations). All the sheets of the same size (or of thesame destination) can thus be collected and stacked altogether andseparately from the sheets having other sizes (or destinations).

Substantially similar is the construction and the working principle ofthe second example of selector according to this invention, which isshown in FIGS. 5-9.

In said selector, where the same reference numbers are used to indicateparts corresponding to those of the selector of FIGS. 2-4, the onlysubstantial difference is that the beam 11, rather than rotate, can betranslated vertically among different horizontal positions, respectivelythe pick up (FIG. 7) the rest and the discharge position (FIG. 8).

To this purpose the beam 11 of the rake structure 10 is fixed to a pairof end pillars 31, each of them including a rack portion 32 connectedmechanically by means of a gear box 36 to a corresponding rack portion33 of a common translatable shaft 34 which is controlled by twohydraulic cylinders 35. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each gear box 36comprises two pinions 37 and 38 respectively engaged with the rackportion 32 and 33 and a train of idle gears 39,40 and 41 for theoperating connection of the two above mentioned pinions.

With the rake structure 10 cooperates furthermore a belt conveyor 42,which is placed in a fixed position above the structure 10 (FIGS. 5 and9) and comprises substantially two parallel belts 43 with relative endpulleys 44.

In rest position, the rake structure 10 is arranged as shown in FIG. 8,that is with the horizontal prongs 12 lifted with respect to the belts 5(shown on support ledges 46), so as not to interfere with theadvancement of the metal sheets (47) along the path defined by the samebelts. At the same time the turned portions 14 define, with their smallidle wheels 22, a horizontal support plane for the previously picked upsheet (47"), which is still engaged with the lower portion of the belts43 (movable along the arrow F) for its subsequent discharge towards acollection place, for example a piling hopper. To this purpose, smallidle wheels 45 are placed at the outlet of the rake structure 10 to actin the same supporting way as the small wheels 22.

In pick up position, on the contrary, the rake structure 10, is arrangedas shown in FIG. 7, i.e. with the horizontal portions 14 of the prongs12 introduced between the belts 5, slightly under the support basedefined by them, and the vertical portions 13 of the same prongs placedin such a position to stop the advancement of the metal sheet along thepath defined by the belts 5.

When the rake structure 10 is in the latter position, the selected metalsheet (47') undergoes a stop equivalent to a pick up from the normalflow of advancement. On the other hand the lifting of said structure tothe position of FIG. 8 allows again the free advancement of the sheets(47') along the conveyor 2 and the discharge of the picked up sheet(47") towards a collection place by engagement of the conveyor 42 withthe suitable cooperation of the idle supporting wheels 22 and 45.

Of course, suitable conveying and supporting devices will follow theconveyor 42 and the small wheels 45 for the conveyance of the selectedsheet up to the desired collection place.

I claim:
 1. Selection system for flat articles, particularly for metalsheets of different sizes coming from a shearing machine, comprising aplurality of selectors which are arranged along an advancement path ofthe articles and can be worked alternately to deviate selected articlesfrom said path to respective collection places, characterized in thateach of said selectors is constituted by a rake structure with L-shapedprongs, which is arranged transversally with respect to the advancementpath of the articles and can be moved from an upper rest position, wheresaid prongs do not interfer with the advancement of said articles alongsaid path, to a lower pick up position, where said prongs stop theadvancement of the articles and then lifted again to an upper dischargeposition where said prongs, after having lifted said engaged articles,allow their conveyance towards said collection places.
 2. Selectionsystem according to claim 1, characterized in that the rest and thedischarge positions coincide.
 3. Selection system according to claim 1,characterized in that said rake structure is constituted by a beamarranged transversally with respect to said path and by prongs, integralto it, constituted by a first portion which extends perpendicularly fromsaid beam and by a second portion perpendicularly turned from the firstportion in opposite direction with respect to the advancement directionof the articles along said path.
 4. Selection system according to claim3, characterized in that said turned second portions of the prongs areprovided with small idle wheels to make easy the slip of the articlesalong the plane defined by them.
 5. Selection system according to claim3, characterized in that said rake structure pivots around a fixed axisparallel with respect to said advancement path, to move from said pickup position, in which said turned second portions of the prongs define ahorizontal plane, and to said rest and discharge positions, in whichsaid turned portions of the prongs define an inclined plane decliningtowards said collection places.
 6. Selection system according to claim3, characterized in that said rake structure is vertically translatablefrom said pick up position to said rest and discharge positions, in allthe above mentioned positions said turned second portions of the prongsdefining horizontal support planes for the articles.
 7. Selection systemaccording to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a belt conveyorwhich is placed in a fixed position above said rake structure andcooperate with the latter to convey the picked up articles towards saidcollection places when said rake structure is lifted in dischargeposition.